It is known in the art of installing electronic accessories in a vehicle, in which one or more wires need to be run through, for example, the fire wall of the vehicle, to use a hand tool comprising a hollow, typically metal, pass-through shaft which is inserted into and completely through a handle held by the user during use. There is a mating channel through the handle along its axis in alignment with the hollow shaft, which shaft is secured to the handle only by glue or other adhesive.
In the installation of electronic vehicle accessories, such as, for example, car phones, stereos, and the like, wires generally need to pass from the dash board or passenger area, through the fire wall of a vehicle, and into the engine area to provide electrical power to the accessory. The fire wall typically contains a rubber grommet or ring, which securely holds wires passing through the fire wall, while protecting the integrity of the fire wall itself. The prior art tool is used to facilitate such wiring.
In use, the prior art hand tool is inserted through the grommet, and then the wiring of the accessory to be installed is passed internally through the tool to feed it from one side of the fire wall to the other side. It is next to impossible to feed the wiring without the aid of the tool since the grommet space is small and the wire is generally flexible and typically, in and of itself, cannot be used to be forced through the grommet area. The prior art tool therefore provides a rigid access through the grommet.
However, such prior art tools in present usage secure the pass-through tube or shaft inside the handle only with glue or other adhesive, which adhesive ultimately can fail and break away, allowing the bottom or proximal end of the metal tube or shaft to be forced out of the bottom of the handle, potentially cutting the user, which clearly has been a very unsafe situation.
In spite of these safety problems, the prior art tool has been in use for many years and there has been a long-felt want and need for a more safe, hand, wire installation tool.
A list of prior patents which may also be of interest is provided below:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Inventor Patent Date ______________________________________ 834,344 Linderman 05 FEB 1907 2,727,721 Pinkerton 20 DEC 1955 3,872,806 Bone 25 MAR 1975 5,458,317 Caracofe et al. 17 OCT 1995 ______________________________________
The Linderman (U.S. Pat. No. 843,344) patent is directed to a belt splicing device comprised of a handle and a tubular body with the body having one end fixed within the handle and the other end beveled, sharpened, and shaped to a point for cutting a hole in a belt. The tubular body further has two wedge-shaped, diametrically opposed holes which are used to grasp a lacing thong or cord for insertion through the tubular body and through a hole in the belt. There is no hole or channel through the handle of the tool, and therefore no flange holding a tubular body within the handle.
The Pinkerton (U.S. Pat. No. 2,727,721) patent is directed to a tool for guiding wire, particularly conductor wire, through a junction box. The tool is comprised of a handle with a metal shank. On the end of the shank is a pair of opposed flat oval plates with a grooved pulley journaled therebetween. It is disclosed that, through the use of the tool, wire can be pulled out of the junction box, guided smoothly by the pulley, without any kinking or damage to the wire. However, again there is no hole or channel through the handle of the tool.
The Bone (U.S. Pat. No. 3,872,806) patent is directed to a needle for fastener attachment insertion devices. The needle is comprised of a hollow shaft with a spoon-shaped cutout on the insertion end for guiding the fastener attachment member as it is inserted. The fastener attachment member is initially inserted into and through the needle via a cutout portion (see FIG. 1, reference number 15) in the mounting portion of the needle. The needle is mounted into a fastener attachment insertion device so there is no handle as in the present invention.
The Caracofe et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,458,317) patent is directed to a device for grasping cable or wire in confined spaces to aid in its installation, adjustment or removal. The device is comprised of an elongated handle, and a spring wire, circular head portion which narrows as it approaches the handle. A cable or bundle of cables is received into the tool through the circular head and is slid down into the narrow section where it is retained by the compressive force of the two wires held by the handle.
It is noted that none of the above referenced devices are comprised of a handle through which wire is fed requiring the safe securing of a shaft of a hand manipulated tool within a handle. Additionally, none of the devices have a shaft which is secured within the handle of the tool at a flange, to prevent the possible sliding of the shaft through the handle. Also, the prior art does not include or teach the over-all system aspects of the present invention as related to these basic, structural differences.
Thus, there is significant, unobvious, novelty in the present invention.